Public speaking is an integral skill not only in study but in life, yet giving presentations, oral assessments, or even talking in groups is a terrifying prospect for many students. This book is filled with tips and tricks cultivated through Rob Grieve’s experience in running public speaking workshops at university.

Taking the fear out of public speaking at university, he teaches you how to develop your public speaking skills and build your confidence; so whether you’re giving a presentation or just talking with friends you can face the situation without fear.

With a unique focus on ‘authenticity’ over perfection, Stand Up and be Heard:

Helps you identify and understanding your fear; what is it that you are most afraid of? How does this fear manifest

Provides practical exercises and strategies that will help you manage your fear

Teaches you the benefits of ‘authentic’ speaking and relying on your own voice and personality

SAGE Study Skills are essential study guides for students of all levels. From how to write great essays and succeeding at university, to writing your undergraduate dissertation and doing postgraduate research, SAGE Study Skills help you get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips, resources and videos on study success!

Introduction

Chapter 1. Fear of Public Speaking

Chapter 2. Authenticity, Not Perfection

Chapter 3. Strategies to be Authentic – Part 1

Chapter 4. Strategies to be Authentic – Part 2

Chapter 5. Remember the Basics

Chapter 6. Non-verbal Techniques

Chapter 7. Practice and Preparation

Chapter 8. The Benefits of Standing Up and Being Heard

Supplements

This much-needed book will be highly valued by very many university students – and indeed by all sorts of other people who have occasion to stand up in public and speak. It is terrific to have such authoritative words of wisdom and experience from a practitioner who has faced and overcome the problems that very many people share about speaking in public. I too remember the intense dread I experienced as a teenager when it was my turn to read out the biblical extract to school assembly for four days! This was probably the most daunting experience of my life, and it took me a great deal of time, practice and patience to become able to walk in happily to do conference keynotes, and to enjoy reactions, and indeed play with the audience. Fear of public speaking is a widely shared phenomenon, yet is relatively rarely addressed properly at university, where students can suffer enormously when the time comes round for them to stand up and be heard. It’s every bit as serious a problem as exam stress, and affects the success of at least as many students. At last, here is the book which comforts, guides, and addresses the fears and emotions which very many people experience with speaking. Rob Grieve shares his passion, enthusiasm and experience on every page. A must for students – and many others.

Phil Race

Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University and Emeritus Professor at Leeds Beckett University

Public speaking skills are now a requirement for many programs (and indeed for many careers), but students can feel overwhelmed. This book sets up a focused strategy to overcome fear of public speaking. Following the exercises in each chapter will undoubtedly improve skills and confidence. It is a must read for students - and others - who want to be more effective and authentic speakers.

Deborah Johnston

ProDirector (Learning and Teaching), SOAS University of London

The anxiety caused by public speaking affects many of us in the wider population but for students this can be exacerbated when it impacts on grades and self-esteem. This research informed book offers strategies to overcome these anxieties, enabling full participation in student activities such as seminars, group work, asking questions in lectures and delivering presentations. These strategies will also provide life skills, developing confidence to tackle some of the day to day activities which many of us take for granted.

Rob writes this book from an authentic perspective as someone who has experienced a stammer since childhood. He shares the techniques he has developed throughout his academic career which have been seen to reduce angst by participants in his workshops.

Working though the study guide will provide the reader with tried and tested approaches which other students have found useful. The key message is that you are not alone; there is support available and this book may be the start of that journey to confidence.

The book offers an invaluable insight, for academic and student support staff, into the fear felt by some students of public. It serves as a timely reminder when we seek alternative and creative ways of assessing work in our universities.

We all need to “Stand up and be heard” at times, be it buying a car or negotiating a contract, there are useful tips which we can all benefit from within this book.